Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘The 'NVIDIA Way: Jensen Huang and the Making of a Tech Giant’
The Marketing Minute: Your Metrics Aren’t Telling the Full Story
It’s Only Common Sense: Quoting Is Marketing, So Treat It That Way
Dan Beeker on the Design Engineer of the Future
February 7, 2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 1 minute
As technical director at NXP Semiconductors, Dan Beeker specializes in EMC and signal integrity design techniques. He’s known for his field-based design classes; you may remember the cover of Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” that Dan and his daughter Breezy released in 2015 titled “All About The Space.” Check it out on YouTube; it’s funny, and it definitely gets the point across.
As we begin 2025, I contacted Dan to get his thoughts about the design engineers of the future. What will their jobs look like?
Andy Shaughnessy: Dan, how will the typical PCB design engineer’s job evolve over the next five to 10 years?
Dan Beeker: The challenges will be driven by the changes in technology. Smaller IC geometries for transistors and packages and increased power supply requirements make the basic functional design more challenging. Evolving standards for reduced allowable radiated emission levels and increased levels of immunity will impact compliance.
A solid understanding of the underlying science of electromagnetic physics will be more critical than ever. Improvements in the design tool space may help, but until the tools are dielectric-aware and can manage the entire three-dimensional structure of the electronic control system, they will only provide false hope. Careful empirical evaluation of each design will still be the primary method for designing good PCBs.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the January 2025 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
Technica USA and DCT Partnership Insights
04/10/2026 | Real Time with... APEX EXPOThis discussion features Jason Perry from Technica and David Bures from DCT Cleaning, highlighting Technica's expansion in PCB fabrication and assembly. DCT, a leader in cleaning solutions, emphasizes the renewed importance of cleaning in modern electronics due to miniaturization. Comprehensive offerings and an innovative approach to achieving optimal cleanliness is revealed.
Robot Density Surges in Europe, Asia, and Americas
04/08/2026 | International Federation of RoboticsEconomies worldwide are prioritising the integration of factory robots, as automation becomes a critical tool for boosting productivity. In the global automation race, the Western European countries reached a record 267 robots per 10,000 employees in the manufacturing industry 2024 – ahead of North America with 204 units and Asia with 131 units.
East Asia's Electronics Dominance and AI with Sydney Xiao
04/08/2026 | Real Time with... APEX EXPOSydney Xiao, Global Electronics Association – East Asia President emphasizes the region's dominance in electronics manufacturing, particularly with the rise of AI. The association focuses on standards, workforce, technology, and collaboration to help members navigate AI opportunities, highlighting new IC substrate standards and advanced packaging initiatives.
Double Win: Indium Corporation’s CW-807RS and Indium12.9HF Receive EM Asia Innovation Honors
04/07/2026 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation®, a leading materials provider for the electronics assembly market, recently received Electronics Manufacturing (EM) Asia Innovation Awards for its halogen-free CW-807RS flux-cored wire and Indium12.9HF solder paste products.
Express Manufacturing, Inc. Enhances Test Capabilities with TAKAYA APT-1600FD-SL Investment
04/07/2026 | Express Manufacturing, Inc.Express Manufacturing, Inc. (EMI), a global electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider, has strengthened its test capabilities with the recent purchase of the TAKAYA APT-1600FD-SL dual-sided flying probe test system, expanding its ability to support increasingly complex and high-reliability PCB assemblies.